... you only get points when the "disadvantage" comes into play during the campaign?

Just for the sake of making my opinion public: It works in M&M because Hero Points there are a more plot-centric version of Void Points.

Since L5R's character points are synonymous with XP, I don't think it'd work out as well.

So say I make a character who's Blind, I only get bonuses when I need to see things?

Something like that.

In the case of the blind swordsman (Zatoichi) or even archer (Arah), I think it's assumed you still want them to be able to fight.

You don't have to worry about penalties. But if you're out looking for a geisha for your lord, you might end up with someone not too pretty.

In that kind of situation, the disad would kick in, and you'd get your XP. --- Does that seem like a good way to handle disads?

As for Void points being plot centric, they're also supposed to be "moments of greatness" that are, at times, inexplicable.

Void doesn't just add to rolls; it can also reduce damage, for instance. It's all about how you describe it in game.

(sorry, wall of text )

so you can potentially get more XP with a story-initiated disadvantage than from the traditional char-gen disad.

I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. Why not just retain disadvantages by RAW then just hand out bits of bonus XP to players who--

--deal exceptionally well with difficulties initiated by their characters' disadvantages?